THE Miss England finalist who wore a wetsuit for the swimwear round is delighted she has made a splash in the beauty pageant world.
Muslim Aysha Khan broke new ground this week by ditching the contest’s traditional bikini or swimsuit for surfer gear, and is thought to be the first contender to wear the clingy one-piece.
In an exclusive chat with The Sun, 21-year-old Aysha — the current Miss Lancashire — said: “I don’t really show much skin, because that’s what makes me feel comfortable. Some women might feel more confident showing more skin, while some feel more confident showing less.
“Empowerment is a personal feeling, and not wearing a bikini doesn’t mean I’m not confident about my body. And I didn’t wear a wetsuit because my religion prohibits me.”
Aysha submitted the photos of herself in the wetsuit for the optional Miss Beach Beauty round, which replaced the mandatory swimwear parade in 2010.
She said: “I knew the round was optional but I didn’t want to miss out. I wanted to compete but without wearing a bikini or swimsuit and without showing my legs or body.
“So I wore a wetsuit because it’s my personal choice.
“My entry was accepted, as Miss England is very much about showing your personality. The round is about body confidence and I felt great. I was just myself.”
Aysha, from Blackburn, was the only one of 49 entrants not to wear a bikini or costume, and she made the top 20 finalists.
She said: “I’m proud that I’ve stayed true to myself throughout the competition and would never do anything that goes against my own morals to fit in.
“I think that’s helped me to stand out and has helped me to get this far in the competition, because me being myself is what makes me different.”
Her decision to wear a wetsuit has won praise, particularly among other young Muslim girls.
She said: “I’ve had a lot of messages from girls saying they are really proud of me and I’m representing them in a good way.
“With Miss England, I do look different to other girls. My hair and skin are darker. But it’s about embracing what you look like.
“And Britain is so multicultural. It’s made up of people from different walks of life, different faiths and different races. I wanted to help represent that and encourage other Asian girls to take part.”
The Miss Beach Beauty round is one of ten in the contest, which also focuses on fundraising efforts and tests to see how eco-friendly the contestants are by asking them to make an outfit out of recycled material.
They also face a general knowledge quiz and a sports event, where they compete with each other in various physical challenges.
All the rounds are optional but the more a contestant enters, the higher their chance of being crowned Miss England on August 1. Victory earns them a place in the Miss World contest in London in December.
Student Aysha was crowned Miss Lancashire earlier this year. It was her first beauty pageant and she entered it while suffering from depression and anxiety triggered by being severely bullied at school.
She recalled: “It started off with one of my friends randomly turning against me. At that age you’re quite naive. Others followed and jumped on the bandwagon.
“It was horrific and went on for a long time. It was never physical but I couldn’t escape it as there was a lot of cyber-bullying.”
While struggling with her mental health Aysha spotted posts on Facebook about Miss Lancashire. She said: “I entered as I wanted to pick myself up from this phase in my life. I wanted to bring myself back.
“It was actually not something I thought I’d ever go for, but I did a bit of research and realised what it actually stands for.
“They had taken out the whole parade on stage with the bikinis and the focus is more on charity work.
“I felt it was a way I could continue using my platform in a positive way.”
Aysha became the first Asian contender to win the Miss Lancashire title, which gave her automatic entry into the Miss England pageant.
Apart from some racial abuse, when someone told UK-born Aysha to go back to her own country, she said: “In comparison to the positive, the negative has been very little, so I just try not to focus on it too much.”
Taking part in beauty pageants has also led to some raised eyebrows among her own community.
She said: “Not many Asian girls do this, so it takes a while for people to adjust to it.
“The comments that have been made are perceptions of what pageants used to be like ten years ago, not what they’re like now.
“I’ve tried not to bring religion into this because it’s such a sensitive topic and people can take things the wrong way and there’s always some sort of backlash. Me entering the competition was just for me as a person.”
Aysha, who volunteers with youth groups in her local community and has 8,000 followers on Instagram, added: “Religion and race aside, I’m part of this because it’s something I enjoy.
“And I know I have young girls looking up to me, so I’ll always use my platform in a positive way.
“Many people in the Muslim community have seen it in a good way. The more work I’m doing, the more people can see I’m not doing anything wrong per se.
“They’ve been quite open to the idea of the modern-day pageant.”
Aysha, who is studying Primary Education Studies at Manchester Metropolitan University, is competing against more than 50 other young women for the Miss England title.
She said: “We’re combating stereotypes that beauty pageants are full of women with nothing much more to them than their outer appearance.
“Every single woman I’ve met in the competition is either a degree holder, they have a career or they own their own business.
“We do this because charity is the main focus. Nearly £1million has been raised for different charities so far.”
Throughout the competition, Aysha’s biggest supporter has been her mum, Ruksana Ali. The 41-year-old mental health support worker has raised her and her five siblings single-handedly since splitting from their dad when Aysha was four.
Aysha, who has had no contact with her dad since, said: “Growing up, I didn’t have a father figure but Mum made up for it tenfold.
“Having such a strong female figure helped me to become a strong female. We have struggled. My siblings and I have had to adapt.
“We wanted to become successful not just for us, but for Mum. She has sacrificed so much.”
Aysha has also had backing from fellow Lancastrian Freddie Flintoff. The former cricketer and Top Gear presenter recorded a video message after a friend bumped into him in a local gym and told him about Aysha being in the competition.
She said: “It was lovely. He’s from Lancashire and someone that’s made it big. That gives me inspiration. He’s not been fed by a silver spoon and I look up to him.
“Success is very much sweeter when you know you have worked hard for it.”
The Miss England final, which is judged in part by a public vote, will be held over two days, with the winner crowned at the final catwalk on August 1 in Newcastle.
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The new Miss England will then go through to the Miss World contest at London’s ExCeL centre.
Aysha said of her prospects of winning the Miss England title: “I think it means more to me than I let on.
“I always try to remain humble, but if I were to win it would mean the absolute world.”
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News Photo Miss England finalist is making a splash by wearing a wetsuit instead of a bikini for the Beach Beauty round
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